FACT’s Asad Khan headed to eforea Spa at Hilton Salwa Beach Resort & Villas for a sensory journey of complete relaxation aimed at balancing his chakras.

After weeks of working from odd sitting positions (hunching over in bed or stress-crying at my makeshift desk), thanks to Omicron, going for a massage was completely necessary. I was at that point where all I could think was to have an expert physically massage away my worries. The eforea Spa at Hilton Salwa Resort had been the talk of the town recently with people driving all the way there just to de-stress and re-energise themselves. So, I decided to jump on the bandwagon and head to the best.

As I entered the spa, I could smell the fresh fragrance of lemon grass in the air, a popular tool in aromatherapy to help relieve stress, anxiety and depression. Deep tissue might be my staple whenever I visit a spa, but this time I wanted to step out of my comfort zone a bit and opted for the Chakra Balancing Hot Stone Massage, a 90-minute treatment that takes you on a sensory journey of complete relaxation with warm basalt stones to balance the chakras and melt away tension – a holistic approach to relaxation whilst rebalancing the body, mind and spirit.

The changing rooms are a perfect example of contemporary design, think minimalism, mood lighting and lounge music completing the atmosphere. Each room seemed like a mini hotel suite with an attached washroom, shower and a changing room. I donned the luxurious robe and slippers before I was seated for an instant foot massage and lemon-grass mint tea. My therapist asked for my preference of essential oil and the scrub for the facial that followed the massage.

As I slipped into the cotton sheets, I was asked about my preference of pressure and heat levels of the stones. I like it hot! The sound of the windpipes switched off my mind as I lay down on my front breathing slowly as instructed by my masseuse to improve circulation and absorb the positive energy, whilst aligning the crown chakra.

The hot stones were placed in a line along my spine before moving across the rest of the body where the stress is stored: back, shoulders and neck. The therapist gently rubbed two stones into the muscles on my back with a base of amber oil before moving on both sides of my legs and then placing the stones in between my toes. Before she even got to my toes, I felt relaxed and we were not even 30 minutes into the session. What worries? What back pain? Why hadn’t I tried this before – the only questions that were running through my mind before drifting off into a dreamy state. I could practically feel the stones alleviating stress and promoting deeper relaxation, as if the heat from the stones expanded my blood vessels encouraging the blood flow throughout my body.

It was 90-minutes of absolute bliss – nirvana. I felt good, simply calm and supremely unbothered. Like my anxiety and stress had been set to ‘off’.

Now for the facial that followed the massage! Using Sothy’s products, my treatment started with the application of a hydrasmoothing mask, followed by a couple of applications of the cleansing milk, vitality lotion, face scrub cleansing milk and treatment serum. The 60-minute treatment involved pro skincare application and Oriental massage that I could feel was better than Botox. No honestly, I could feel my facial muscles toning and my skin more taught and lifted. This treatment departs from intense cleansing and arrives at toning and moisturising the skin. This was a deeply relaxing experience with instantly visible results with glowing skin! But don’t just take my word for it, book an appointment and go try it out yourself! ✤

GO: CALL 4423 6401 FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO MAKE A RESERVATION.

A WORD FROM THE EXPERT

Adele Osborne, Spa Manager at eforea, has been associated with the spa industry for over a decade. Bringing her experience and creativity to eforea, she spoke about her journey.

Why did you decide to go into the spa industry?
I had my first spa experience as a teenager and I loved the overall journey; the power of the touch and the healing elements. I felt relaxed, renewed and rejuvenated. This experience ignited a passion for spa and wellness, I understood the power of holistic practices and how they can truly transform you. Shortly after, I decided to train as a spa therapist, kick-starting my career working onboard luxury cruise ships. Gaining knowledge and progression within the industry was important to me, so, I ensured I experienced all areas of spa operations from therapy, front of house and management roles. Since then, I have been fortunate enough to work in award winning spas in Europe and the Middle East. The international experience has been invaluable; working and meeting diverse spa professionals and guests. This, is turn, enhanced my knowledge and expertise of international holistic traditions and wellness practices. I love my current role as Spa Manager, leading a team of exceptionally talented professionals who are passionate in creating and delivering luxury and healing experiences for our guests.

What do you love about your current location?
The spa here at Hilton Salwa Beach Resort & Villas is really special to me because I was able to be creative with this project, building the spa offerings, operations and team from scratch. We have created exceptional spa journeys, with the help of the highly trained eforea Spa professionals. As a team, we really bring the key elements of spa and wellness the to the table, drawing inspiration from all over the world. Additionally, people are well travelled here in Qatar and when they come to the spa they come with high expectations — so it’s really rewarding to exceed those expectations by taking our guests on transformative and personalised journeys for the mind, body and soul.

One treatment you would recommend to our readers?
I highly recommend the Chakra Balancing Hot Stone Massage. We understand that most people experience the energetic blocks and imbalances that prevent us from accessing our full vitality. Based on this we created a really special and unique protocol at eforea Spa, which is truly healing and results-driven. This treatment will ensure your energy is aligned, activated, balanced and amplified.